I didn't get a chance to let Honoka know that I would be late.
I'm back...
It's not opening...?
Come on...!
Huh? What are you doing?
Uh... I think it's called "punishment"?
Ao, you traitor!
You said you'd help me keep Ikuto out!
Who's going to fix the doorknob when it breaks?
--Sorry, sorry, sorry.
Hey, could you guys keep it down?
Hey. Dinner's almost ready, so let's wash our hands.
H-Honoka.
Last night...
What were you doing last night?
Um... I was helping out at Mr. Yanagida's...
You got another part-time job and spent the night without letting us know?
S-Sorry.
For what?
She's livid.
You could've called at least.
It was too late when I thought to call,
--and my battery died this morning.
--Iku's full of excuses. --and my battery died this morning.
--Iku's full of excuses. --Then more things happened...
--Sounds like it. --Then more things happened...
Um... Let me help out with dinner!
You're a terrible cook. Just sit down.
"Hayasaka General Hospital"
"Episode 4: Young Talents"
Are you working again, Ms. Tsumura?
But this isn't work!
Please don't forget that you're here because you overworked.
You can't keep working like this!
But this isn't work-- Oh, he's back.
Just please don't overdo it.
Duly noted!
Let's listen to the nurse, okay?
Okay, okay.
Anyway, Ikuto,
have you noticed how Honoka's on edge these days?
Her grades fell so her professor advised her to attend summer school.
Oh. I see...
I wonder if Mr. Yanagida's going to pay me...
Ikuto?
Sorry, Mother. I have to go.
Oh? But you just got here.
I have to get to work. I'll see you tomorrow!
Mother.
You don't have to tell Ikuto everything.
I just hate seeing you guys fight.
The moment you get angry you stop wearing the clothes your brother made for you.
He always uses a check pattern in your clothes, so I could tell right away.
Your mock exam scores weren't great, right?
It doesn't matter. I'm not going to college.
Here, use this to pay for summer school.
But...
Don't worry. Just take it.
This is for you.
Okay...
Ikuto's more sensitive than you are.
He needs your support, too.
How long has it been since we last heard him say
that he wants to become a designer?
Hey. Why do you want to be a designer?
Huh? Well, um...
"We'd like to invite you to an exhibit where our brand, Hazime Yanagida, will be featured. The details are below..." Because I like to make clothes...? I guess.
You didn't always want to be a designer.
So what happened?
It's a long story...
You won't last in this industry if you just "like" it.
Designers handle all sorts of tasks you're not aware of.
You have to handle the demands of deadlines, quality standards, and creativity.
If you fail, you'll be treated harshly.
The day will come when you'll hate it.
You need to find a reason beyond just "liking" it,
or else all you'll face is defeat.
What do I truly want...?
Her professor advised her to attend summer school.
What are your aspirations, Mr. Yanagida?
What? Mine?
Mine are...
...to be featured in Paris Fashion Week.
And for "Hazime Yanagida" to be recognized by the world.
Bob. What are your aspirations?
Um, Mr. Yanagida.
What? You're begging for more scraps?
Y-Yes...
No.
If you're going to beg for them...
Go buy them yourself.
This is my favorite café.
Yes, it's my treasure.
This is so cute!
That pattern's called check!
I'm back.
Sorry, I know it's late.
Where're Ichika and Aoi?
They're asleep.
Did I disrupt your study session?
Want me to make you some coffee?
I don't want any.
Honoka, could I talk to you for a second?
Here.
"Tsumura Paycheck"
What's that?
"Tsumura Paycheck" It's from helping out at Mr. Yanagida's.
"Tsumura Paycheck" He just paid me.
You need to stop doing this!
What?
I'm responsible for myself!
You always put everyone else first, Ikuto!
You're the one sacrificing your dream by choosing to work.
There's no way I could go to college with that money!
If I'm going, I'll make it happen by myself.
I don't need your help, Ikuto.
Realizing my dream at the expense of others won't make me happy.
Iku, Noka, what's going on?
Noka, are you crying?
Ichika?
There!
Change, Noka!
Wearing Iku's clothes always makes Ichika smile!
When Mommy doesn't come home, or Iku comes back late,
it makes me feel better and not sad.
So let's change.
When you change, you'll stop crying...
It's not like that, Honoka.
Mr. Yanagida is a professional designer.
And I'm learning a lot while working for him.
What?
And so I got my first paycheck today.
He told me, "If you want to earn more, then you need to improve more."
He's strict, but it's been really fulfilling.
So I'm not forcing myself to take up a part-time job.
Are you... serious...?
So I was wrong this whole time...?
Honoka.
Honoka, just focus on getting into college.
You want to work overseas in the future, right?
Aoi, you focus on getting into the best high school for volleyball.
Ichika, you don't have to worry about anything yet.
But just know, I'm going to work hard so you can do anything you want!
And one more thing...
I want to wear this!
Ikuto, what do you want to be when you grow up?
Yeah!
I know what I want to be!
I...
I want to be a fashion designer.
Okay.
You can do it... Ikuto!
Mr. Yanagida.
What is it?
Going back to this topic...
I want to be a designer because I really love making clothes.
I'm still not at the level where I can dream big.
But...
There are people around me who support my dream.
And I'm determined to realize that dream.
There are people I want to make clothes for.
It all stems from my love for making clothes.
"Clothes that make people smile."
That's what I want to aim for as a designer.
Will that count as an aspiration?
Sure, it's a great one.
"Moriyama"
Huh?
Got it.
Did something happen?
Moriyama's quitting because her parents are against her working here.
What? So, the exhibition...
You're doing it. There's nobody else.
What...?
And on top of that, Miss Moriyama quit!
Miss Fujito, are you even listening?
Chiyuki.
What?
It's about time you start calling me by my first name.
What?
Okay...
M-Miss Ch-Chiyu... ki...
But...
Well, good luck with that, Ikuto.
Thank you.
I'll do my best.
Smile Down the Runway.
Hello, welcome.
Thank you very much.
That's Sara, the famous model.
There are so many celebrities here.
May I give this to you?
Oh. Yes. Thank you very much.
I know her!
She's Mai Ayano of Aphro I Dite!
She's one of the top designers in Japan.
I can't believe it!
Oh? I don't see the dress you fixed up.
How do you know about that...?
I heard from one of my students.
They were helping out as a fitter.
Hey, designer. Have the model change into this piece.
Yes, right away.
He's got many faces...
Change into this right away.
Yes, sir.
Hey, help her out.
What?
Why don't we have a changing room for her?
It's a cotton-based fabric processed with polyester to mimic the texture of silk.
It naturally accentuates the lines of the female form.
It's a simple yet versatile piece that can be worn in both casual and formal settings.
We'll allocate a booth for your brand in our department store in two weeks.
I need 40 types of seasonal pieces,
a total of at least 400 pieces.
What?
--Four hundred pieces in two weeks?!
--Yes, thank you very much. --Four hundred pieces in two weeks?!
Mr. Yanagida...
That...
Was his big break...
Bob. Go find the Geika principal who was here earlier.
We'll hire more help.
Earlier?
Am I being summoned?
Whoa!
I'm leaving the rest to you.
I was listening.
So how can I make the most out of this transaction?
I know! I'll coordinate the helpers, so in exchange,
I want you to participate in our school's fashion show.
We're here.
"Geika Fashion School" This is Japan's premier fashion school,
Geika Fashion School!
The fashion show is part of the school festival.
This year, at one student's request, I permitted participants who aren't Geika students.
Come in, come in.
An exhibition of student works.
Amazing.
"Senior Toh Ayano"
I see the same name over and over again.
Oh my, where did I put the application forms?
Huh?
Your three sizes are 82, 65, and 83.
Did I get that right?
What?
Who the heck is he?!
Well hello, Toh!
It's been a while!
You're 105, 101, 105...
Did you gain weight, Principal?
Oh, my.
I'm guessing he's our non-student participant?
That's right. How exciting, isn't it?
Based on his bone structure, he's about 17 or 18...
A high school student?
That outfit. You're wearing a school uniform button-up.
The vest is handmade.
Based on its wear, a girl used to wear it regularly.
Your bought those pants but you hemmed them yourself.
He's right about everything.
He barely touched the clothes...
Principal, who is he?
Hey, it's Toh!
Hi, Toh!
"Flirt" "Squeeze" "Flirt" Oh, it's so good to see you, Toh!
"Flirt" "Hehe" "Flirt" It's been a while, hasn't it?
He's a particularly special student of mine.
Out of this whole school, no,
maybe out of all the 120,000 students who attended this school,
he probably stands on top of them all.
"Senior Toh Ayano"
As a senior, that is.
Excuse me.
Would you be interested in interning at Hazime Yanagida?
No, he already works at Aphro I Dite.
Sorry, I'm not interested in those things.
I'm sorry.
We're just desperate for some help...
Huh?
Did you do something to that lady's tunic by any chance?
It just feels
a little different from earlier when she arrived.
It's because of this.
I just took the decorative ribbon off the waist.
You need to be more mindful of the tunic's silhouette.
The weight of the ribbon totally ruined it.
Make sure you consult with the fabric before you add anything like this.
Thank you very much.
He couldn't see the ribbon from his angle.
He noticed the change just by the look of the front.
I change my mind.
Huh?
I'll help out with that brand.
What?
It'll be fun with you around.
If you can start tomorrow, that'd be great!
Toh, are you sure about this?
Of course I am, Shoko.
Thanks again.
I'm glad I requested a non-student participant.
This is going to be fun.
Hello.
I'm sorry for being late.
Huh?
I'm Kokoro Hasegawa. I'm here to help out.
The model from the other day?
Thank you for taking care of me the other day!
Oh! I'm sorry, I thought I recognized you.
I didn't know we were expecting a model.
Actually, I'm--
Please come in.
Coming through!
Mr. Ayano.
Hey Ikuto and my darling freshman.
You know who I am?
Of course I do.
How could I not notice the freshman with the most beautiful figure?
A freshman?
You mean you're a freshman at Geika?
I'm Kokoro Hasegawa.
I was a model that day, but my real dream is to be a designer.
I'm grateful to be here.
I'm exempt from introducing myself, right?
Mr. Ikuto!
M-Mister?!
You're younger but you have seniority here!
She seems like a totally different person.
Damn it. Things got a lot more complicated.
Oh. The student helpers are here?
Let's get right to--
I'm Toh Ayano, a senior at Geika.
Your three sizes are 86, 61, 86...
You've got a great figure--
Did you bring this one?
Wait, did you say Ayano?
You must be the rumored grandchild of Mai Ayano.
What? You mean the top designer's...?
Having a famous grandmother isn't without its troubles.
Anyway, what's the complicated matter?
We're trying to fulfill an order of these shirts made with special ordered material.
It's processed to have a silky texture.
It looks like silk but it's not as soft.
The factory I usually use fell through.
Then why don't you use real silk?
What?
But that's why we special ordered that material.
Silk is too soft, so it can't achieve that silhouette.
Do you have a good source for silk?
I can use my grandmother's connections.
Is it possible to make that shirt with silk?
It is. There are two ways to go about it.
Then shouldn't we discuss it and decide?
That's not how I work.
I want the designer to maintain their position at the top.
The designer is the one who comes up with the designs.
On the other hand, we're merely slaves to those designs,
it'd be unacceptable for us to contribute to the design-making process.
This guy's scary.
I'll explain the process now.
We're making a bias-cut shirt using Georgette.
Jumping right into making the sample.
Ayano. You know how to do it.
Actually, it's not really hitting me right now.
I think Ikuto should show us how it's done first.
What?
W-Wait a minute!
I don't know how to do it either! And plus--
Good luck with that, Ikuto.
I'll do my best.
Angle the fabric at 45 degrees!
Use needles #7 and #9!
If you can't shape it on the table, do it directly on the torso.
Set it on the brown paper and cut it!
Don't let it shift!
I told you to keep the thread loose.
Um... Can I--?
Kokoro.
The bias-cut technique he wants uses the fabric at an angle.
By doing so, it produces elasticity, and when we use an iron to shape it,
we can achieve a beautiful body line.
But...
It's really difficult.
You don't know how to handle the Georgette.
The elasticity produced by bias-cut differs with each material.
Since it's not properly calculated in your head, it comes out warped.
You're incompetent, stand back.
Yes...
Play time's over. Ayano, hurry up and do it.
All right.
I got a good sense of his abilities.
But what I really want to know is...
Ikuto, watch carefully.
This is my first time
watching a professional sew.
It's drastically different.
And voilà.
I'm far from being a professional.
You passed.
Next, use this to draw up the patterns for the factory.
I've got a suggestion for that.
You do it, Bob.
Me?
I see.
So he noticed, too...
It's done.
Nice try.
You still don't have a good grasp of the material's elasticity.
This part should be a millimeter shorter to avoid producing any wrinkles.
But it's quite an improvement after just looking at the finished product.
He already has the "eyes" that took me 20 years to get while I worked for Mai Ayano.
That's it for today. You two can leave.
Ayano, we need to talk regarding the factory.
You're working for Mai Ayano, aren't you?
Are you planning on taking over?
No way.
I'll launch my own brand, eventually.
What a waste.
But it's easier said than done. I was also looking for a partner.
"Was"?
Hey, Hajime.
Can I have Ikuto for my brand?
Next, "Individual Styles."
"See you next time!!"